September 18, 2015

PUBLIC NOTICE (10-15)

BRIDGE PERMIT AMENDMENT APPLICATION TO CONSTRUCT REPLACEMENT BRIDGES OVER HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, MILE 40, AS PART OF THE SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY

EAST (SHTE), IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

All interested parties are notified that an application from HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY (HCTRA) has been received by the Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, for approval of the enclosed plans to construct replacement bridges over a navigable waterway of the United States. WATERWAY AND LOCATION: Houston Ship Channel, Mile 40.0, Harris County, Houston, Texas. CHARACTER OF WORK: The HCTRA proposes a replacement bridge project along Beltway 8 to improve the north-south transportation link between Interstate Highway 10 (IH 10) and State Highway 225 (SH 225) in Houston, Harris County, Texas and remove the existing bridge. By removing the existing bridge and constructing new a bridge along this segment of the Sam Houston Tollway East (SHTE) corridor, the HCTRA aims to improve safety by upgrading roadway design to current Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design standards, improving mobility within the corridor to accommodate current and future traffic demands, and completing the SHTE system initiative. The SHTE system initiative involves construction of a corridor that is consistent with other segments of the SHTE system to the north and south of the project areas. The existing fixed highway bridge is a concrete box girder design with a main span of 750 feet. The proposed northbound and southbound bridges will be separate structures, and each will have a fixed cable-stayed main span of 1,320 feet. The piers of the new bridge will be constructed on land and there will be no obstructions in the waterway. The new southbound bridge will be constructed first, within the existing 200-foot right-of-way (ROW), adjacent to the existing bridge to the west. The new bridge will be temporarily fitted to handle two-way traffic so that the existing bridge can be demolished. After the removal of the existing bridge, a second new northbound bridge will be constructed to handle all northbound traffic. Removal of the old bridge will be down to a depth deemed appropriate by the District Commander and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The HCTRA indicates that the proposed bridge project is needed to address safety, improve regional transportation mobility and access, and address transportation consistency. The HCTRA states that safety would be improved by expanding the limited the number of travel lanes with

Commander Eighth Coast Guard District Hale Boggs Federal Building

500 Poydras Street, Room 1313 New Orleans, LA 70130-3310 Staff Symbol: (dpb) Phone: (504) 671-2128 Fax: (504) 671-2133

D8DPBALL@uscg.mil

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inadequate shoulders, steep grades, and limited sight distances; HCTRA also proposes this construction to address issues stemming from the narrowness of the Houston Ship Channel due to the current location of the main bridge piers within the waterway but outside of the navigational channel, frequent highway closures, and serious traffic delays that ensue after incidents occur. Additionally, HCTRA states that highway points of access across the Houston Ship Channel would be improved by the proposed project given the construction of four (4) lanes in each direction and the elimination of the current reduction of the loop highway in lanes from four (4) to two (2) in each direction. The HCTRA states that transportation will be more consistent with the proposed project implementation; the Loop highway around Houston will be improved with the construction of four (4) lanes in each direction and the elimination of the current reduction of the Loop highway in lanes from four (4) to two (2) at the Ship Channel Bridge. MINIMUM NAVIGATIONAL CLEARANCES: Existing: Proposed: Horizontal: 500 feet clear channel, Horizontal: 500 feet clear channel 724 feet between piers Vertical: 175 feet above Vertical: 175 feet above High Water (HW) elevation Mean High Water (MHW), elevation 2.0 feet 0.57 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) ………………North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) 88 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) as lead federal agency, has made a tentative determination, according to documentation submitted by that the proposed project is a Categorical Exclusion for the purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because it satisfies criteria for such action listed in the Coast Guard's implementation instructions. Construction is in a floodplain with a 100-year flood elevation of 11.00 feet, NAVD88. Low chord of the bridge is above this level throughout. The project will not significantly encroach on the floodplain as defined in 23 CFR 650. No additional right-of-way will be required for the proposed project. No displacements or relocations of businesses, residents, or farms will be required. No adverse impacts on low-income or minority populations are anticipated. No parkland, recreational areas, or wildlife refuges will be impacted and no prime farmland will be taken. No significant effects on public utilities, fire protection or other emergency services are anticipated. No impacts on threatened or endangered species are anticipated. HCTRA performed a wetland delineation in the proposed project area and determined that two United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) jurisdictional features exist within the project right-of-way (ROW). The USACE conducted a wetland determination to identify the limits of Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction for the project. By letter dated July 28, 2015, the USACE issued an approved jurisdictional determination and concurred in HCTRA’s finding that “there is 0.03-acre of Boggy Bayou, a relatively permanent water, subject to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act…and 5.78-acres of Buffalo Bayou, a traditional navigable waterway, subject to both

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Section 404 and the Section 10 [Section 10] of the Rivers and Harbors Act (Section 10). Therefore, HCTRA will apply for Section 404 and Section 10 permits Concurrent with the processing of this application, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is reviewing the proposed work to determine if the construction would comply with State water quality standards. By virtue of an agreement between the U. S. Coast Guard and the TCEQ, this public notice is also issued for the purpose of advising all known interested persons that there is pending before the TCEQ a decision on or waiver from water quality certification under such act. TCEQ, Air Quality Division, is expected to furnish a statement that the project meets the requirements of the State Implementation Plan on Air Quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Harris County has been deemed in nonattainment status for 2015 for the following pollutants: 1-hour ozone (1979), 8-hour ozone (1997), and 8-hour ozone (2008). This notice initiates the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultation requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Since the proposed project exists within tidally influenced waters, it may have an impact on EFH or federally managed fisheries. The Coast Guard’s final determination, relative to the project impacts and the need for mitigation measures, is subject to review by and coordination with the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The proposed project is located within the Texas Coastal Zone Management (CZM) area. The applicant has stated that the project will be consistent with the Texas CZM requirements. By copy of this public notice, the Texas General Land Office, Coordination Council will initiate review of the project to determine if it is consistent with the Texas Coastal Zone Management Program requirements. Consultation with the Texas Historical Commission has been conducted, and during the consultation process, HCTRA submitted a Historic Resource Survey Report on Sam Houston Tollway East from SH 225 to IH 10 in Harris County, Texas dated November 19, 2014, to the THC. In that letter, the HCTRA’s conveyed that it performed a field survey of the area of potential effect and identified two historic-age resources, the Houston Ship Channel and the San Jacinto Ordinance Depot. The HCTRA also identified on non-historic-age resources, the Sam Houston Tollway East Ship Channel Bridge. The Texas State Historical Preservation Officer (TSHPO) concluded that the report for the proposed project was acceptable by way of stamping and signing the letter on December 19, 2014; the stamp indicates that the project may proceed and that the resources identified are not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and the project may proceed.

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SOLICITATION OF COMMENTS: Interested parties are requested to express their views to the Coast Guard, in writing, giving sufficient details to establish a clear understanding of reasons for support or opposition. Comments will be received at the Eighth Coast Guard District, Bridge Administration Branch, at the address given in the letterhead through October 19, 2015.

//s// DAVID M. FRANK Chief, Bridge Administration Branch By direction of the Commander Eighth Coast Guard District This is a web-searchable copy and it is not the official, signed version; however, other than the signature being omitted, it is a duplicate of the official version.

SCALE IN MILES

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VICINITY AND LOCATION MAP

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HOUSTON

LENNAHC PIHS NOTSUOH

LOCATION OF PROJECT

OF EXISTING BRIDGE)

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PROPOSED BRIDGES

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MAY 2015

HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY (HCTRA)

APPLICATION BY

LOCATED IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

OVER THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, MILE 40

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY EAST

Exhibit 1A

CENTER SPAN

1320'-0"

MAIN SPAN UNIT

2820'-0"

SIDE SPAN

600'-0"

SIDE SPAN

600'-0"

250'-0"

250'-0"

PLAN

ELEVATION

SIDE

150'-0"

SIDE

150'-0"

SPANSPAN

MI

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175'-0"

[ PYLON

[ PIER

[ PIER

[ PYLON

[ PIER

[ PIER

[ PYLON[ PIER

[ PIER

[ PIER

[ PIER

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PROPOSED BRIDGE

PROPOSED BRIDGE

[ PROJECT

EXISTING ROW

AND MIN HORIZONTAL CLR

500'-0" NAVIGATION CHANNEL

EXISTING ROW

MAIN SPAN PLAN AND ELEVATION0 100 200 400

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APPROXIMATE MUDLINE

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=2.00'

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NOTES:

1.

REFERENCED TO NAVD 88.

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PORT OF HOUSTON

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KINDER MORGAN PETCOKE, L.P.

(TO BE REMOVED 2 FT BELOW MUDLINE)

EXISTING BRIDGE

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Mbshepard

MAY 2015

HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY (HCTRA)

APPLICATION BY

LOCATED IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

OVER THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, MILE 40

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY EAST

Exhibit 1B

15'-8"

[ PROJECT

165'-3ƒ"

RAIL

1'-0"

78'-7ƒ"

RAIL

1'-0"

RAIL

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78'-7ƒ"

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7'-10"

8'-0‚"

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RAIL TYPE

SSTR (TYP)

RAIL TYPE

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SHLD

10'-0"

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12'-0"

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12'-0"

[ BOX

LANE

12'-0"

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12'-0"

SHLD

10'-0"

LANE

12'-0"

LANE

12'-0"

[ BOX

LANE

12'-0"

LANE

12'-0"

SHLD

10'-0"

RAIL

1'-0"

CROSS SECTION

TYPICAL CROSS SECTION

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Mbshepard

MAY 2015

HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY (HCTRA)

APPLICATION BY

LOCATED IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS

OVER THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, MILE 40

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY EAST

Exhibit 1C

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GISUser Community

Project SchematicCategorical ExclusionHarris County, Texas

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGEExhibit #2A

Program Location

LegendShip Channel Bridge Schematic

Ship Channel Bridge SchematicExisting ROWHCFCD DRAINAGE NETWORKTxDOT_Roadways

1 inch = 800 feet

±

SHTE

SH22

5

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GISUser Community

Project SchematicCategorical ExclusionHarris County, Texas

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGEExhibit #2B

Program Location

LegendShip Channel Bridge Schematic

Ship Channel Bridge SchematicExisting ROWHCFCD DRAINAGE NETWORKTxDOT_Roadways

1 inch = 800 feet

±

SHTE

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GISUser Community

Project SchematicCategorical ExclusionHarris County, Texas

SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGEExhibit #2C

Program Location

LegendShip Channel Bridge Schematic

Ship Channel Bridge SchematicExisting ROWHCFCD DRAINAGE NETWORKTxDOT_Roadways

1 inch = 800 feet

±

SHTE

IH10

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DISCLAIMER: This map was generated by HNTB Corporation using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software. No claims are made to the accuracy or completeness of the information shown herein nor to its suitability for a particular use. The scale and location of all mapped data are approximate.

_̂H A R R I SH A R R I S

F O R T B E N DF O R T B E N D

M O N T G O M E R YM O N T G O M E R Y

LIBERT YL I B ER T Y

0 0.5 10.25Miles

1:24,476

1 " = 2,040 ' µ_̂

LEGEND

Aerials: HGAC 2012; HGAC 2015; HNTB 2015

HGAC Current Land Use1/4 Mile Buffer

CommercialGov/Med/EduIndustrialMultiple

Parks/Open SpacesResidentialUndevelopableVacant Developable (includes Farming)Water

HGAC Current Land Use AcresCommercial 78.80Gov/Med/Edu 161.62Industrial 720.49Multiple 107.25Parks/Open Spaces 12.44Residential 6.13Undevelopable 57.20Vacant Developable (includes Farming) 13.30Water 77.46

Houston County Toll Road AuthotityApril, 2015

Exhibit 3Land Use

Sam Houston Tollway EastHouston Ship Channel Bridge